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Sore nipples all the sudden. What the heck?

So dd is almost 9 months old and so far we still are going strong (after lots of issues- nursing strikes, teething, distractions, the joys) any way just this last week or so my nipples have become really sore during nursing and I'm not really sure why. Is it a hormonal thing? I haven't seen any difference in the way she nurses. Thanks!

Re: Sore nipples all the sudden. What the heck?

Could be thrush -it commonly causes pain after a period of pain-free nursing. Have you had a vaginal yeast infection, a course of antibiotics, or baby had a diaper rash recently? Other symptoms can be pinker than usual nipples, dry, flaking skin on thte nipples, and baby might have white patches in her mouth. Dr. Newman has a great thrush protocol if you think it sounds like that, and there are some over-the-counter things you can try http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/conte...agename=doc-CP

Just note that the baby needs to be treated too, even if she's not symptomatic, otherwise you can pass it back and forth. Probiotics are a good place to start, and you can swab the baby's mouth with diluted grapefruit seed extract as per the Dr. Gordon plan http://drjaygordon.com/breastfeeding/thrush.html

eta: of course, this is just a thought on what the cause could be. Hopefully some of the more experienced members will weigh in

Re: Sore nipples all the sudden. What the heck?

If she is teething that may do it too. They adjust their latch to create counter-pressure to help relieve the pain. Sometimes that added pressure causes pain in Momma as well. :eek Keep an eye on her latch. Watch for any heat or discolouration. Remember to go back to the early days of unlatching baby if things get uncomfortable and demand a better latch. I know at that age I tended to get a little lazy and let them slip a little too. I had to remember to relatch for both of us.